Paul's instruments1. Bass - really only Entwhistle can claim to compete w/Paul here2. Accoustic Guitar - he really is a fine accoustic player with his own style 3. Piano/Keyboards - he's nearly as accomplished as his compatriots (Joel and Elton) who make a living at the piano4. Lead Guitar - he has his own unique style on lead5. Drums - Paul is a passable drummer - he's gotten better, but the drummer in any random pedestrian famous band can outplay Paul.

Everyone's talkin' 'bout the President
We all chip in for a bag of cement

Matta, you are absolutely correct. Elton and Billy J are by far better piano players. It's not even close and that's not insulting Macca one bit. It doesn't detract from Macca's ability to play or the enjoyment I get from him playing.

Exactly, Bravefan. Nobody likes Paul more than I do (I've gone to great lengths over the years "defending" him to people who just don't "get" him), but that doesn't mean one should be ridiculously blind to reality.

Overall, we've got the most succesfull pop songwriter EVER-- and he did it with both a great partnership (Mr. Lennon), and on his own.

We also have a great songwriter who is one of the best pop/rock vocalists ever.

Who is recognized as a master at his main instrument, the bass.

And, who can play just about anything one needs to make a one man pop record-- something he's done a few times already.

And, if you ask my wife, for one, he was also blessed with charm and good looks!

Do we need to also over-hype all of this? I don't think so!

in years to come/they may discover/what the air we breathe and the life we lead are all about/but it won't be soon enough for me

Totally agree with you guys- as talented as Paul is, he is not in the same league as Joel, and especially Elton on keys. Those guys are real pianists, and Paul very rarely if ever gets into the same kind of complex territory on piano as they do. However, see above for the things he does well...or, indeed, brilliantly and influentially.

So I stood with a knot in my stomach,And I gazed at that terrible sightOf two youngsters concealed in a barrel,Sucking monkberry moon delight.

Elton and Joel ARE better piano players than Paul. I will defend Paul to the max but Elton and Joel are better piano players.

I was part of a "crowd scene" back in 1990 being filmed at Foxboro. About 1,000 people got in free. Paul and group did not sing LIVE they lip sync'd. But the tape was not working properly and Paul and the band would walk around like wind up toys or the tape would go slow and Paul would step up to the microphone and apologize for having a frog in his throat.

But between takes Paul and the Band would Jam. Great! Best playing I have ever heard from that particular set of band members in ages. They were fabulous. I have no words to describe the best playing I have EVER heard from Paul in all my days. This was bass playing. He was not to be matched anywhere!! Blew me away! I love guitar music of any kind and this was great. Again, I can't describe the sound or the way I felt.

efghi, yes you're right...BUT don't forget that Billy Joel's dad was a classical pianist who initially pushed Billy into playing piano from a very youngage, and that Elton started playing from the age of 3! Paul's background in piano was very different. Yes, Paul's dad was musical but he played trumpet in a little trad jazz band, and although there probably was an old upright piano in the sitting room at Paul's dad's house, there certainly was not the atmosphere of 'hothousing'as in the case of Billy and young Reginald. So Paul has done pretty well on piano but in no way can he be described as an equal to Joel or Elton on piano- to claim this would be disingenuous and delusional. Methinks. Having said that, Paul is an outstanding multi-musician, and singer, in a way that the other two could only dream about. IMHO.

So I stood with a knot in my stomach,And I gazed at that terrible sightOf two youngsters concealed in a barrel,Sucking monkberry moon delight.

Girl4, I remember reading about that! I can't remember where, exactly, but it was several years ago, and Paul was talking about that day, and that between takes they jammed, a lot of basic rock and blues stuff. That would be my DREAM to hear him off the cuff and jamming like that. I've seen and heard "Live & Let Die" enough in my lifetime. I'd like to just hear him rock out. I've posted some of his sound checks here. Go To YOUTUBE, and check some of them out ("Mean Woman Blues," "Bring It On Home (To Jerome)," "Blue Suede Shoes," and several others).

in years to come/they may discover/what the air we breathe and the life we lead are all about/but it won't be soon enough for me